Bathing device



Dec. 19, 1933. A, E. sTElNKAMP BATHING DEVICE Filed Deo. 7. 1951 5 'WH v "mf a MIU/M INVENTOR.

atented Dec. 19, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT yOFFICE 8 Claims.

I am also the inventor of Patent No. 1,844,988 issued February 16, 1932, for bathing devices.

My invention relates to a xture for use in bathrooms providing a bath tub, bathing seat l and special shower facilities, and at the same time conserving the oor space of the bathroom and improving the uniform and general appearance of the room. There has been considerable development in 10 the plumbing supply art in the eort to produce a bathroom complete in equipment, within a small space, and within architects requirements for space, comfort and balanced appearance. I-Iowever, there has been no adequate provision for a l5 shower bath combined with a bath tub; and furthermore, the tubs provided for restricted space are not long enough for comfort, and the general appearance of the bathroom is unbalanced and unsightly.

2@ The usual scheme is to place a small tub within a three-wall enclosure and run a curtain rail about the exposed side. This is Very unsatisfactory in that the curtain strikes the body and drips on the oor, the xture is too drafty for a comfortable shower, and the bather is greatly restricted to space and must keep his attention constantly on the wet curtain and spray of the shower in order to prevent the water from getting onthe bathroom oor.

3@ There have, in the past, been efforts at providing a bath tub with a ledge or ledges which serve as a seat in taking a sitz bath. These devices are not adapted for shower use, or else are of a shape which would require a very large bathroom or special wall structure, and thus be expensive and unsatisfactory to the architect. 'I'he structure would also be unsightly in a small bathroom.

It is the object of my invention to provide a x- 40 ture sufficiently large to provide a base for a shower with which curtains or partitions would be unnecessary. My fixture comprises a sunken immersion bath space of a length which is more than that of the usual shorter length tubs, a sitz bath or a sitz shower bath member, and the entire xture is constructed so as to accommodate architects specifications into a small bathroom, but still providing plenty of space for this type of building construction, and also fits snugly in the corner of the bathroom, needing no curtains or partitions whatever, and no special wall, corner, or cut-out construction being necessary, and giving, together with a washstand4 and a toilet, a perfect balanced and general uniform appearance to the bathroom.

I accomplish my objects by that certain construction and arrangement of parts of which a typical example will be illustrated and described together with notes as to points off convenience and advantage, and claims will be appended which will set forth the novelty inherent in the invention.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of the xture forming my invention.

Figure 2 is a section on the lines 2-2 of Fgure 1.

Figure 3 is a smaller scale plan showing how a bathroom can be arranged, and the advantages of my inventionfrom that point of view.

It will be desirable to construct my novel bathroom fixture as rights and lefts, so that the fixture can be installed in any one of the four corners of a bathroom. The fixture will be of the usual materials employed in the construction of bath tubs, either porcelain or enameled metal, the latter being preferred from the point of View of expense in both manufacture and transportation to the point of use.

The outside dimensions of my novel fixture form a right equi-lateral triangle, with the two sides 2, 2, adjacent to the right angle 1, straight and of equal length, and the third side 3 bowed outwardly in relation to the triangle. This is a convenient shape for a shower base and also results in a structure which can readily be placed in the corner of the bathroom in such a way that the two straight sides 2, 2, will take up an equal amount of space on the walls. The side walls'2, 2, should not be less than four feet in length, so as to give a bath tub member of over five feet in length, which is a very suitable size.

The outer top rim 4 is bent over on the bowed side 3 of the triangle so as to form an edge and apron (5 and 6 in Fig. 2), while the rims 4 on the 95 sides 2, 2, t flush against the wall and may form the base for tiling.

The interior of the iixture is so formed as to provide a sunken space 7 of the depth of the usual bath tub extending parallel with the bowed side 3 of the triangle. The corner within the right angle 1 is so formed as to provide a seat 8, the level of which is below the rim 4 and which is so arranged as to permit the water to flow from it into the tub portion 7.

The Walls of the tub portion 7 have a slight slope, as in ordinary tubs, with the end 9, which is opposite the faucets and drain, having a greater slope for greater comfort when sitting or lying m the tub. The drain 1o and the faucets 11 and 110 on the seat 8 and take a shower. In this position there will be no danger of the water splashing out onto the bathroom iioor, and there will be no need of a curtain or partition.

There is a separate front or apron 13 made of enameled iron or other suitable material, which closes the opening between the floor and the rim.

This apron 13 may be insered after the xture is in place, and ts up under the apron and edge 5 and 6 in such a way as to prevent the water from getting between the tub 7 and the front piece 13. This front piece also ts back from the apron 6 about three inches, so as to give toe space when standing near or against the rim of the tub on the bathroom floor. v

It will be noted that the angles 14, 14, are right angles, so theends of the bow 15, 15, will extend perpendicularly from the walls and give a neat and attractive appearance.

The complete fixture gives a tub of desired length with a seat and shower bath. One may sit on the seat, and, by an easy reach, turn on the shower so as to take a sitz shower bath. In no case will the water from the shower splash onto the bathroom oor, for it is directed toward the sealed corner of the structure. There will be plenty of room for the bather to move around, for there is no curtain to keep away from and no partition to avoid.

Due to the tub space being at an anglethe two ends of the tub taper to a corner, but this is of no disadvantage, because the tapered space accommodates the head and the feet of the bather when taking a tub bath, and also conserves water.

The bathroom arrangement shown in Figure 3 illustrates one of the convenient ways of making use of my invention. In this arrangement the wash basin is indicated at 16 and the toilet at 17, with a door 18 and window 19. Ihere is a full length wall to accommodate towel racks, chairs, clothing hooks, etc., and plenty of room to dress and move around in. It will be noted, in this gure, the finished and balanced appearance of the room with the wash stand, tub and toilet all arranged in a graceful curve, and all-projecting at a uniform distance from the wall. 'Ihe whole room, as illustrated, takes up a space of seven feet by seven feet, with plenty of space for movement and accessories, and adequate provision for plumbing access. There are, of course, many other arrangements possible.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:- l

1. A ilxture constituting a shower base, which comprises a triangular body having two long sides of equal length and one bowed side, having a tub Y cavity extending parallel to the bowed side, with the space at the apex of the triangle formed up in a seat or ledge to fill said corner, for the purpose described and a shower head positioned over said bowed side and directed toward said ledge.

2. A xture constituting a shower base, which comprises a triangular shaped body having two long sides at right angles to each other forming.

a right angled corner within which a triangular ledge or seat is formed, and having a tub cavity adjacent to said seat and on the opposite side in relation to said angle, and a shower head positioned over the tub edgeand directly toward said ledge for the purpose described.

3. A fixture constituting a shower base, which comprises a triangular shaped body having two long sides at right angles to each other forming a right angled corner within which a triangular ledge or seat is formed, and having a, tub cavity adjacent to said seat and on the opposite side in relation to saidangle, and having a bowed side which forms the third side of said triangle, and a, shower head positioned on said bowed side and directed toward said seat for the purpose described.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination of a basin extending along one side of a triangle at substantially full immersion tub length, a, ledge forming a seat relatively close to the top of the basin, and having the area oi. said seat so disposed as to complete with the tub area a triangular shower catch basin, and a shower hea'd positioned so as to throw a shower of water against said seat.

5. A triangular bathing xture having an elevated horizontal plane located at an apex, a

long, deep basin extending along the iixture parallel to the base of the triangle thus formed, and a shower head positioned on said base of said triangular fixture so as to direct a shower of water at said elevated horizontal plane for the purpose described.

6. A fixture constituting a shower base, which comprises a triangular shaped body having two straight sides of equal length at right angles to each other and one bowed side, the ends of said bowed side being at right angles to the other sides, a seat formed at the right angle apex of the said two straight sides and being lower than the edgeof said sides, an elongated tub cavity extending parallel to said bowed side, which, together with the seat, composes the triangle, the edge of said tub cavity being higher than said seat, so as to insure water fom the seat owing into the tub cavity.

'7. A flxture constituting a shower base, which comprises a triangular shapedV body having two straight sides of equal length at right angles to each other and one bowed side, the ends of said bowed side being at right angles to the other sides, a seat formed at the right angle apex of the said two straight sides and being lower than the edge of said sides, an elongated tub cavity.

extending parallel to said bowed side, which, t0- gether with the seat, composes the triangle, the edge of said bowed side being bent over to form a rim and apron, the edge of said tub cavity being higher than said seat so as to insure water from the seat flowing into the tub cavity.

8. A substantially isosceles right triangular bathing xture which comprises two straight sides. of equal length at right angles to each other and the third side of frusto-triangular shape in convex relation to said triangle, an elevated horizontal plane in the form of a seat located at the right angle apex, and a long, deep basin extending along the xture parallel to said frusta-triangular side, for the, purpose described.

ALBERT EDWARD STEINKAMP. 

